Frenkie de Jong has suggested he will leave Barcelona if he does not get more playing time.
The Netherlands international continues to be a peripheral figure under manager Hansi Flick as he struggles to overcome the effects of a long-standing ankle problem.
De Jong has made just eight appearances this season and did not come off the bench in recent defeats to Leganes and Atletico Madrid which derailed the club’s La Liga title bid.
It is a further sign that Flick has little confidence in the former Ajax midfielder, who is out of contract in June 2026.
Could leave in cut-price deal
Reports in Spain suggest cash-strapped Barca will only agree to €20m for the 27-year-old at the end of this season and De Jong admits his willingness to sign a new deal depends solely of his involvement over the coming months.
Speaking in an interview with Voetbal International, he said: “The renewal of my contract is a subject for the newspapers here, but it is not for me. I want to play football and then I will see what the club wants to do with me and then I will decide what I want to do, with my agent and my family.
“People think I want to stay at Barcelona forever because life outside of football is very good here, and it is good, but it is still less important than what happens on the pitch. If I felt that I couldn’t contribute enough or if the team couldn’t compete, I would leave.”
Barca’s fate was a disappointment – De Jong
De Jong joined Barca in the summer of 2019 and he admits it didn’t entirely go as planned.
He added: “I have to admit that when I signed for Barcelona I didn’t imagine that I would win a single LaLiga, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup after four years.
“I expected at least twice as much, so it disappoints me. Things happen and cannot be predicted.
